"Hey, have you heard?"
The patriarch of the Scott family silenced his children's discussion of that most solemn matter with a single look. He could never forget the day his eldest son and daughter-in-law were subjected to Excommunication for offending the messengers of the God-Emperor. Consequently, he felt a constant sense of dread and unease that the Emperor and His messengers had not yet brought ruin upon their entire lineage.
Their family remained a model household, and their offspring had increased in number—this was their family's path to atonement.
"This matter follows the command of the Cult. I cannot decide on my own," the patriarch said.
"But Father, the eager families have already received weapons. Our house has nothing. When the God-Emperor needs us in the future, are we to be slower than the others?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Several of the Scott men were exceptionally excited. "Father, the God-Emperor is descending. He will lead us to Paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. How beautiful, how wonderful. He has already pardoned our sins. Brother's soul must have already returned to His embrace."
Scott felt powerless. He didn't know what to say; perhaps he was too old to keep up with the thinking of the youth.
The next day, the Scott boys brought back dozens of lasguns from the community chapel. It was said these had been recovered from Astra Militarum warehouses.
...
The Planetary Governor's Palace.
Sino sat at his desk. Opposite his ornate gilded desk hung a sacred icon of the God-Emperor, a constant reminder of his duties. He had once again gone ten days and nights without sleep, maintaining consciousness through neurological drugs and physical stimulants.
Strange occurrences had recently multiplied within the Ender Sector. The Genestealer Cults on the reclaimed planet Start seemed to be resurging. In other regions, such as mining worlds and temporary starports, reports of xenos sightings had increased.
Within the Astra Militarum, the "attrition" of munitions had noticeably spiked. All signs pointed to a faction brewing a massive conspiracy. Was it a coup directed at him? Or was it the work of that Ordo Malleus Inquisitor? Currently, the Convent of the Dying Rose had broken away from Ecclesiarchy jurisdiction to follow the Inquisitor's orders.
There were other, even worse possibilities.
Sino had to prepare. His family had aided a Space Marine Chapter hundreds of years ago; it was now time to seek their assistance. He found the Astropathic Choir and explained the situation. The Astropaths sensed the strangeness of the request but said nothing.
A psychic transmission was sent into the void, carrying Sino's hopes. Yet, he felt it wasn't enough. With the weak forces of his sector, self-preservation felt impossible.
"Send another message to the Administratum. Although it may take a long time to receive a response, at least it counts as a hope."
The Astropathic Choir complied. After finishing the task, one Astropath collapsed without warning. His eyes turned entirely black, his soul consumed, leaving behind a hollow shell of biomass.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The leader of the Astropathic Choir answered, "It is merely normal attrition, my Lord. This has been happening frequently for nearly ten years. It may be due to instability in the Warp."
Attrition? Sino felt a headache just hearing the word. "Record it carefully and investigate the cause. Something major may happen soon."
"Should we inform the Lord Inquisitor?"
"No. He might just declare Exterminatus."
...
Convent of the Dying Rose.
This battleship-convent floating in Ender's orbit was the strongest fortress in the sector, its history tracing back to the Great Crusade. During the battles against traitors, its propulsion system was damaged beyond repair. For ten thousand years, all repairs and reinforcements had turned the battleship into a stationary fortress.
Now, this fifteen-kilometer-long behemoth was about to see off a new wave of crusaders. Hopper carefully wiped her helmet. She liked the white mask design; it concealed all gentleness and kindness, leaving only anger and hatred.
"Time is up, Hopper. If you don't go now, you'll miss it."
She followed the departing ranks. In this line, she was now considered a senior. During a final equipment check, she found Stiv.
"Senior, after we part today, I fear we shall only meet again at the Golden Throne."
"I doubt we'll even have time to meet at the Golden Throne," Stiv replied with a smile. She had waited twenty years for this opportunity, and now it was finally her turn to face the enemies of mankind on a true battlefield. "Hopper, you are more gifted than I. If you train diligently, you will make a greater contribution."
Stiv had much more to say, but time ran short. In the end, she uttered only one sentence.
"The Emperor Protects."
"The Emperor Protects."
Stiv's figure vanished among a thousand Sisters of Battle just like her. Hopper did not see her again before the ship departed. She felt a sense of loss; Stiv had looked after her for over a decade, acting like a mother.
She composed herself. Everything in the future would require her own effort, especially during these troubled times. The situation on Planet Ender was not good; the Sisters of Battle might be needed for support at any moment.
She returned to her small room, but had little time to rest. A servitor modified into a megaphone broadcasted a new order through the living quarters.
"Emergency assembly!"
Thousands of Sisters of Battle finished their preparations. Armed and ready, they listened to the command issued by the Canoness herself. Half of the Canoness's body was encased in a massive life-support unit, but her voice remained powerful.
"My children, the Inquisitor requires our aid. The corruption on Planet Ender has reached a level the God-Emperor can no longer tolerate. Let us go! In His name, we shall proclaim justice across the stars!"
"For the Emperor!"
"For the Emperor!"
...
Yuki observed the map. He stood at the front of a massive platform, with tens of thousands of people sitting below waiting for his command. One-third were high-ranking members of the Genestealer Cult, and two-thirds were Underhive gangs currently under Yuki's control.
Generally speaking, after long-term development, the Underhive was essentially under Yuki's command. Most facilities in the Mid-hive were occupied by the Cult and high-level gangs. This had all been accomplished under peaceful conditions.
Now, Yuki and his forces were preparing to deal with areas that were difficult to penetrate through such means—military installations. It was almost laughable; the reason they couldn't infiltrate was that those positions were hereditary.
"The moment the Shadow in the Warp covers our system and communications for the planet and sector are severed... that will be the moment we take total control of this world."